You Were Born For This

“You were born for this!” Recently, a friend was telling me how much it meant to her when this was spoken over her life. It was just what she needed in that moment. I thought to myself, “I want to be the kind of person who encourages the people around me!” It simply encourages me to encourage others, though I sometimes don’t have the right words to encourage people in just the right way. And there have been times in my life where I have also doubted my calling and needed to hear these five simple words, “You were born for this.”

There have also been many seasons when I doubted my ability to encourage others, but one in particular was a time when I felt pressure to express that in a similar way as my husband—on stage in front of lots of people. Nobody pressured me, but I felt it somehow, so I pushed back and almost straight-up refused opportunities for public speaking, because it just made me uncomfortable. I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin doing that. I slowly realized that though full-time public speaking wasn’t my calling, there are times when the Lord gives me grace in the moment when it’s appropriate to share publicly. And though I still struggle with that public speaking ability, I am confident that God has called me to encourage others!

It’s okay to doubt your ability, but never doubt that you’re called!

We have to know that it’s okay to doubt your ability, but never doubt that you’re called. So what if you doubt your ability? What if you’ve been called to speak to the women at your church, but every time you open your mouth, you stutter? Well, congratulations! You are in good company. So did Moses. The good news for Moses is that the Lord gave him permission to recruit an assistant, Aaron, to do the public speaking on his behalf. But ladies, let’s keep this in perspective. Most of us are not being asked to lead a million people away from an evil empire through a desert in the dark of night. In fact, I don’t know anyone alive today who has thatassignment. So if you doubt your ability to fulfill the task, ask the Lord a few key questions:

Am I confident in my calling?

Has the Lord gifted you as a ministry leader? A speaker? A one-on-one counselor or encourager? Do you have the gift of administration, or has He gifted you as a worship leader? Be confident that God has called you, and yet remember that He has uniquely gifted YOU. Sometimes we doubt God’s calling on our lives because we are tempted to—or feel pressured to—become someone we’re not. So, be yourself! Resist the temptation to be great at everything. The pressure is off! It’s good to know something about everything, but challenge yourself to know everything about something. Focus on that one thing.

Am I confident in my gifting?

If you are confident that God has both called and gifted you to a certain thing, there is still the craft of that gifting that requires practice. Even the most naturally gifted athletes still need to hit the gym or hone their skills. As you pursue your unique gifting, I encourage you to stay humble and teachable, giving the Lord permission to strengthen you in your gifting, and even getting a coach who can help sharpen you. I’ve never felt my gifting is public speaking, at least not every week like my husband! But because I am confident that God has called me to be an encourager, I have worked to be the best encourager I can be—even when it’s occasionally before large groups. I’ve gotten better at that over the years, and I’m thankful that the Lord has allowed me grace and opportunity to grow in this area—even when I still never feel adequate for the job.

Is Now the time for me?

The short answer is…YES. Do not doubt that now is the time. Today is the day for you to walk in your calling and move in your gifting. I don’t ever want you to doubt that. You’re exactly where you are supposed to be for this appointed season. You were born for such a time as this. And once you are confident in your gifting within the context of your calling, the only thing that’s okay for you to doubt is doubt itself.